The Bristol F.2 fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft that was able to hold its own against opposing single-seat fighters. Having overcome a disastrous start to its career, the F.2B's solid design ensured that it remained in military service into the 1930s, and surplus aircraft were popular in civil aviation.

The Bristol F.2 Fighter was armed in what had by then become the standard weapons configuration for a British two-seater military aircraft: one synchronized fixed, forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun (in this case mounted under the cowling to avoid freezing) and a single flexible .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun on a Scarff ring over the observer's rear cockpit.

The F.2B variant often carried a second Lewis gun on the rear cockpit mounting, although observers found the weight of the twin Lewis gun mounting difficult to handle in the high altitudes at which combat increasingly took place in the last year of the war, many preferring to retain a single gun.

Attempts were made to add a forward-firing Lewis gun on a Foster mounting or similar on the upper wing either instead of, or in addition to, the Vickers gun. Among other problems this caused interference with the pilot's compass, which was mounted on the trailing edge of the upper wing: to minimize this effect the Lewis gun was offset to starboard.

Pictured here is a 1:48 scale replica of a Royal Flying Corps Bristol F2B biplane fighter that was piloted by Capt. Arthur H. Peck and Capt. John J. L. Williams, who were attached to No.111 Squadron, then deployed to Egypt during October 1917. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 6-1/2-inches
Wingspan: 9-3/4-inches

Release Date: September 2023

Historical Account: "Devil-in-the-Dusk" - One of the most important British aircraft of the Great War era, the Bristol F2B Fighter was an exceptional fighting airplane. Once pilots realized this large machine was strong enough to be flown like a scout, many Luftstreitkrafte aircraft fell to its guns.

The Bristol was a multi-role aircraft of interest to the Home Defence units attempting to stem the nightly tide of German Zeppelin and biplane bomber raiders over southern England. The First World War model aircraft replicated here served with RAF No.39 Squadron during the summer of 1918, and on the night of May 19th/20th, was flown by 19-year-old Lieutenant Anthony Arkell on just his 11th home defense sortie.

Intercepting a mighty Gotha G.V bomber at 10,000ft over the Hainault Forest, Arkell skillfully positioned his aircraft under the bomber, and fired drum after drum of ammunition into its belly. Seemingly having little effect, he remained in position for around fifteen minutes, firing 700 rounds of ammunition into the belly of the beast, which finally burst into flames with the pair now just 1,500ft above the ground.

The aircraft crashed in East Ham, becoming the first and only No.39 Squadron victory over a Gotha night-raider, and earning Lt. Arkell a Military Cross. His aircraft, which was named "Devil in the Dusk", sported muted markings developed specifically for night-fighter operations.